Hidden in the wing dots: Disentangling mimetic sister species of butterflies (Riodinidae: Stalachtis) with an integrative approach

Author(s)

Magaldi, Luiza Moraes ^{[1, 2]} ; Kaminski, Lucas Augusto ^[3] ; Seraphim, Noemy ^{[1, 4, 2]} ; Azeredo-Espin, Ana Maria ^[5] ; Silva-Branda, Karina Lucas ^[6] ; Freitas, Andre Victor Lucci ^{[1, 2]}

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Estadual Campinas, Dept Biol Anim, BR-13083862 Campinas, SP - Brazil

^[2] Univ Estadual Campinas, Museu Diversidade Biol, Inst Biol, BR-13083862 Campinas, SP - Brazil

^[3] Univ Fed Rio Grande do Sul, Inst Biociencias, Dept Zool, Porto Alegre, RS - Brazil

^[4] Inst Fed Educ Ciencia & Tecnol Sao Paulo, Campus Campinas, Rua Heitor Lacerda Guedes 1000, BR-13059581 Campinas, SP - Brazil

^[5] Univ Estadual Campinas, Ctr Biol Mol & Engn Genet, BR-13083875 Campinas, SP - Brazil

^[6] Univ Estadual Campinas, Inst Biol, Dept Genet Evolucao Microbiol & Imunol, BR-13083862 Campinas, SP - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: ZOOLOGISCHER ANZEIGER; v. 294, p. 92-99, SEP 2021.
• Web of Science Citations: 0

Abstract

The high resemblance between closely related mimetic species poses a challenge to taxonomists who describe and define these species. An emblematic example is found within Stalachtis Hubner, 1818 (Lepidoptera: Riodinidae), a small Neotropical genus of brightly colored butterflies engaged in mimicry rings. Its systematic position within Riodinidae is difficult to define based on morphology alone, and while its taxonomy is inflated due to intraspecific color polymorphisms, phenotypic variation might be concealing cryptic species. Thus, we examined the subspecific diversity within S. phlegia (Cramer, 1779) through an integrative approach based on both molecular and morphological data, aiming to investigate taxon limits. Both morphology and molecular data support the status of S. phlegia and Stalachtis susanna stat. rev.as distinct species. S. susanna stat. rev.is a medium sized butterfly with an orange-black wing color pattern with a few white dots. Furthermore, S. susanna stat. rev. has no subspecies, and is endemic to the Atlantic Forest, while the four subspecies within S. phlegia are widely distributed throughout the Amazon, the Cerrado savanna and in parts of the Atlantic Forest. We consider S. phlegia a promising model for studies of the effect of deforestation on mimetic color patterns in the Amazon-Cerrado transition. (c) 2021 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 11/50225-3 - Natural history, phylogeny and conservation of Neotropical Lepidoptera
• Grantee: André Victor Lucci Freitas
• Support Opportunities: BIOTA-FAPESP Program - Regular Research Grants
• FAPESP's process: 12/16266-7 - Population genomics: a new approach for studies of speciation in insects due to host use applied to the development of sustainable strategies of IPM
• Grantee: Karina Lucas da Silva-Brandão
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Young Investigators Grants
• FAPESP's process: 12/50260-6 - Structure and evolution of the Amazonian biota and its environment: an integrative approach
• Grantee: Lúcia Garcez Lohmann
• Support Opportunities: BIOTA-FAPESP Program - Thematic Grants
• FAPESP's process: 13/50297-0 - Dimensions US-BIOTA São Paulo: a multidisciplinary framework for biodiversity prediction in the Brazilian Atlantic forest hotspot
• Grantee: Cristina Yumi Miyaki
• Support Opportunities: BIOTA-FAPESP Program - Thematic Grants
• FAPESP's process: 15/24663-4 - Biogeographic and diversification patterns of the butterflies from Highlands of Southeastern Brazil
• Grantee: Luiza de Moraes Magaldi
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• FAPESP's process: 10/51340-8 - Symbiotic interactions between butterfly larvae and ants: natural history, morphology and patterns in host plants use
• Grantee: Lucas Augusto Kaminski
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral